Compact Single Stack Shootout..and the winner is...

[RollingCode3]

I bought a G43. Liked it . Then tought it was just ok. Shot it a little bit more , carried it for while and really liked it ! Bought another one two weeks ago . (They had a sale on them) This time with factory night sights. Both are super accurate all the way out to 25 yards with Federal 147HST ammo.

My favorite warm weather off duty and back up guns

Great minds think alike. Just picked up another glock 43 last weekend.

[ap3572001]

Great minds think alike. Just picked up another glock 43 last weekend.

lol. One is regular sights and one night sights? Just like mine?

[BoJackUSMC]

Which holster you guys are using for your glock 43?
Currently, i am using alien gear and crossbreed

[GR8Guns]

Which holster you guys are using for your glock 43?
Currently, i am using alien gear and crossbreed

DeSantis Intruder. Good retention. Good value. Stiff right now but will soften up nicely.

[Mossy Man]

Tried to like the shield and or/G43.

The shield just has too many dumb "features" that make it suck.

It's thin, I'll give you that, but it's still a pretty big gun. Compared to it's own lineup, the M&P 9c, you're losing a ton of capacity and access to it's bigger brother's magazines without much noticeable reduction in size. Also, it's a much harder gun to shoot.

As far as the G43, I found myself instantly jonesing for one when it first came out, and then the same reasons I disliked the shield came to mind, except you're losing even more capacity than the Shield does. A friend of mine has one, and I have shot it...it's okay. Nothing special, but definitely not as easy to shoot as a G26.

It becomes even more apparent when you are in a free state, when it's so easy to have as many high capacity magazines as you want.

In my opinion, the Shield and G43 are too "expensive" for how big they are. And by "expensive" i mean they compromise too much for too little gain.

[FresnoRob]

Another vote for XDS in .45

[ga4boats917]

My Shield 9mm reminds me of a wild animal when I shoot it. I had issues grouping with it and got good advice here. I have since shot it much better, but the fun factor is sort of an accuracy challenge versus pure shooting pleasure. With that said, it seems to be reliable. I am keen on going the double stack route with a Glock 19 in my future.

[97F1504RAD]

this is why I bought my XDs. I thought I was going to buy the shield, but then I got my hands on it and it just didn't feel right. It felt like a little toy, where the XDs, even though is almost the same dimensionally, felt much better in my hands.

This is exactly what happen with me as well. I was firmly set on getting the Shield but like you it simply did not feel good in my hand so I also got a XD.

[Mossy Man]

My Shield 9mm reminds me of a wild animal when I shoot it. I had issues grouping with it and got good advice here. I have since shot it much better, but the fun factor is sort of an accuracy challenge versus pure shooting pleasure. With that said, it seems to be reliable. I am keen on going the double stack route with a Glock 19 in my future.

the shield is one of those guns that i can shoot accurately, if i have the time to aim and apply marksmanship skills.

that said, if you ever have to use a shield, you'll never have the time to "target" shoot it.

I am much more easily able to draw my 26 from concealment, point aim, fire multiple rounds in succession and reliably hit center mass quickly.

with the shield, it's not nearly as easy.

[71MUSTY]

Is the Shield really a single-stack? I thought the magazine was staggered.


.

Yes shield is single stack. All other M&P's are double. The M&P9c or M&P40c look a lot like the shield but are double stacked and have for me (big hands) a better grip then the shield. But they are off roster so have to be acquired thru PPT.

As Op discovered people with average to small hands shoot the shield very well

[Legasat]

Different strokes for different folks! Shield fan here.

[Noonanda]

Maybe I am the Minority but I love my Shield. Now I will say that the grip did feel a little weird at first, but now I don't even notice it. Really haven't tried out anything else because it works for me an I hit where I am aiming when I shoot it. Not going to pay the in my opinion insane $1000 dollar asking price for a G43, ain't worth it to me.

[SomeGuy75]

My $0.02:

Shield > G43 > LC9

Glock is too wide and the LC9 has a crappy trigger. The shield is best all around for me.

[sffred]

IMO if we're talking about sub compact single stack 9's.
Star Firestar > Sig P938 > shield > G43

[grim1U]

I have a G43 that's collecting dust in safe. I actually prefer a snubnose .38 over a single stack 9mm. But I'm guessing I'm in the minority.

Congrats OP, heard nothing but good things about the shield from anyone that owns them.